For controlling time while practicing chi-kung and meditating, I use the Insight Timer App. Besides timing, this app also has some social features and people around the world can (if you allow it) send you greetings, thanks-for-meditating-with-mes, and other free form messages.

I’ve got very interesting experiences with these unexpected communications. Let me share with you this one.

Some days ago, Billy from Somewhere (here I’m preserving some of Billy’s privacy) sent me the following message:

Listen Mo meditation is not monkey business go eat a banana! And leave the deep thinking to us humans I used to have a monkey mind but through years of intense meditation practice I have evolved maysomeday it will happen to you!!!

Just for you to get context: Mo is my name in this App, my location is the Jungle, my tag-line says Shhh, now I’m busy taming my Mind-Human, and my avatar is this smiling monkey:

It took me a little time wondering what could motivate someone to send a message like this to someone else knowing so little about her/him.

Anyways, I love these sudden conversations. I always get some valuable insight from them. So, I answered:

Thanks so much, Billy for your wise advise, that of course I’ll promptly try to follow. Bananas are my favorite!

I can’t but quote Pablo Picasso here:

“It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.”

It seems that Raphael level cost you many years of intense meditation! Maysomeday it will happen to you too!!!

If so, I’ll be most pleased to have you in my treetop and share some sweet monkey fruits with you.

Billy’s answer was:

Mo I am sorry I have underestimated your primate cognitive functioning capabilities You are one smart little monkey! and I believe. That we humans could learn a lot from you chimps And I’m not just referring to catching termites using sticks! Getting in touch with our Primal is the cure for our modern woes! Thanks Mo I love to hang out or around with you anytime I’ve got a trail here in «somewhere» that will test your climbing skills! Keep it hanging Mo!!!

Ha ha ha. Dear Billy. Nothing to be sorry about. Human mind is specialized in estimating wrongly. I can tell because I’ve got (a tamed) one that always keeps trying to get in control of my life with it’s “superior cognitive functioning capabilities.”

Listen, dear human soul, no amount of meditation will change the end of this trip. So don’t stop meditating as you wouldn’t stop eating, but let the monkey inside you go bananas every now and… now 😉

That is: go and eat a banana too!

See you in «Somewhere», in the jungle or anywhere else.

Up to now, I haven’t got any answer to this one. Nor that I expect any.